Minnesota Aurora FC players after a game at TCO Stadium in Eagan in July 2022. Photo: Jeremy Olson/ISI Photos/Getty Images
"It was easier to go out and start talking to people about what a great investment women's soccer is … This isn't just a good idea because it's important to support the women — it is actually a really great business decision."
— Andrea Yoch, Minnesota Aurora FC co-founder, to MPR News
Aurora FC's founders have gathered an investor group to make a bid for an expansion franchise in the nation's top women's soccer league, Yoch told the station.
Why it matters: A successful bid would bring the NWSL — the professional league where some of the sport's most recognizable stars like Alex Morgan and Casey Murphy play — to Minnesota.
Catch up quick: Aurora FC is a "pre-professional" team of college-level players looking to turn pro.
The intrigue:The Sports Business Journal reported that Minnesota United FC is open to an NWSL franchise playing its home games at St. Paul's Allianz Field, which can hold 19,400 fans.
Aurora currently draws big crowds to the Vikings' 7,000-seat practice field in Eagan.
In 2022, Aurora's leaders decided against bidding for an NWSL franchise after running out of time to "secure the necessary investment."
What we're watching: Cleveland and Cincinnati are also reportedly in the running.
